Hikers need to carry a compass with them to find their way through the woods.
Source: tatoeba (35546)
Compass
/ˈkʌmpəs/
Synonyms for "compass" (441 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (89)
Noun(7 words)
acceptaccomplishachieveacquireaesthetic distancealentoursambienceambitamountannexareaattainbeleaguerbesetbesiegeblockadeborder lineborderlandborderlandsbound
Show 59 more words
boundariesboundaryboundary conditionboundary lineboundsbournbournsbox inbreadthbreak boundarybreakoff pointbring offbring throughcagecalibercaliperscarrycarry offcatchceilingchainchamberchromatic scalecirclecircuitcircuiteercirculatecircumambienciescircumambulatecircumferencecircumjacenciescircummigratecircumnavigatecircumscriptioncircumstancescircumventclearancecloseclose inclose the circlecome full circlecompass aboutcomprehendconceiveconfineconfinesconsummatecontaincontextcoopcoop incoop upcoordinatescordoncordon offcorralcrown with successcurvecut
Verb(3 words)
Strong matches (132)
cutoffcutoff pointcycledeadlinedeal withdeep spacedegreedelimitationdepths of spacedescribe a circledeterminantdialdiapasondigdimensiondipstickdirection finderdischargedispatchdispose of
Show 101 more words
distancedivergencedividersdivision linedodo the jobdo the trickdodecuple scaledomainedgeseffecteffectuateembayembosomembraceenactencircleenclaspencloseenclosureencompassendenfoldenharmonic scaleenshrineentourageenvelopenvironenvironing circumstancesenvironmentenvironsenwrapequipmentexecuteexpanseextensionextentextremityfarnessfeeler gaugefence infetchfieldfinishflankfloorfoot rulefreedomfringesfrontierfulfillgaingamutgaolgaugegauge blockgestaltgetget away withget bygirdgirdlegirdle the globego aboutgo aroundgo around in circlesgo roundgo the roundgoniometergradegradiometergraduated scalegraspgreat scalegroundgyregyrocompassgyroscopic compassgyrosin compassgyrostatic compasshabitathavehedgehedge inheighthemhem inhigh water markhigh-water markhorizonhousehouse inimpoundimprisonincarcerateincludeinertial navigation systeminfinityinstrumentinterfaceinterval
Related words (220)
investinvolvejailjohansson blockjurisdictionkennelknock offlandlapleaguerleapleewaylengthlevellight yearlight-yearslimenlimitlimitationlimitations
Show 193 more words
limiting factorlimitslineline of demarcationloglog linelooploranlow-water marklower limitmagnetic compassmagnetic needlemajor scalemakemake a circuitmake outmanagemarchmarchesmarginmarkmeasuremelodic minormetemeterstickmetesmetes and boundsmewmew upmicrometermileagemilieuminor scaleneedleneighborhoodnotchnuanceobtainoctantoctave scaleorbitoutlineoutlinesoutpostoutpostsoutskirtspalepanoramaparameterparametersparsecspaspegpenpen inpentatonic scaleperformperimeterperiodperipheryperspectivepick uppiecepitchplaneplateauplumbplumb rulepocketpointpolish offprecinctprecinctsprocureproduceproportionprotractorpull offpurlieupurlieuspurviewput acrossput awayput overput throughquadrantquarantineradio compassradio direction finderradiusrail inrangeratiordfreachrealizerealmregainregisterremotenessremoverestrictionrevolveringrodroundrulerulerrungscalescopesectorsecureseeseparationset squaresextantshadeshadowshoranshrineshut inshut upsituationskirtskirtsspacespanspectrumspherespiralspirit levelspreadsquarestablestairstandardstartstarting linestarting pointstepstintstretchstridesuburbssucceedsurroundsurroundingssweept squaretaketake care oftake intapetape measuretapelinetarget datetemperamenttermterminal dateterminustheodolitethresholdtime allotmenttotal environmenttransittransit theodolitetreadtry squaretuningturn the tricktwigunderstandupper limitvergevergesverniervernier calipervicinagevicinitywall inwaywayswheelwhole-tone scalewidthwinworkwork outwrapyardyard upyardstick
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: range, scope, accept, accomplish, accomplish.
- Sentence evidence is available for compass, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "compass".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "compass"
Keep "compass" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "compass" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "compass", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "compass" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
23 entriesaccomplishachieveattainbring aboutcapabilitycapablenesscircleconceptdirection instrumentdrafting instrumentencloseencompassextentinstrument
Showing 16 of 23 words.
More specific
13 entriesCollocations
12 entriescompass a boundarycompass a circlecompass a plancompass a treatycompass needlecompass rosecompass the citycompass their endsdrafting compassfield compassmagnetic compasspair of compasses
Inflections
3 entriesSample sentences
44 total sentences available.
Charles Walcot investigated the magnetic compass bearing sense in pigeons.
Source: tatoeba (40206)
But the compass isn't in the head of the bee, it's in the body.
Source: tatoeba (53509)
But where is this compass?
Source: tatoeba (53584)
Showing 4 of 44 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "compass"?
Closest matches include range, scope, accept, accomplish, accomplish.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "compass"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.